Lessons Learned Out Front #1

My verse for this year is Isaiah 45:3. I will give you treasures in the darkness and hoards in the secret places that you will know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel who calls you by name. (Typing from memory forgive me if that is not word perfect!)

Keeping with that theme of treasuring the things God has given and taught me, I'm going to attempt to document some of the lessons He has taught me over the last year or so. Lessons learned in a place I never thought I would be.

In 2010 I was honored to serve on our church's praise team. I survived the audition process and was immediately overcome with the realization that:

I had to stand in front of a bunch of people and sing. Can we say overactive active sweat glands. :)


For some, that place out front is an easy place to be. Not so much for me. If you know me, you know my heart and my passion for worship is most comfortable behind the piano or in our worship choir. That is where I love to lead from, it's where I feel most free to worship God. But last year that was not God's plan. He was kicking me away from all the things that I felt comfortable in and putting me in a place where I was totally uncomfortable.

So there I was. Standing in that place only God could make me go. Terrified. Scared to death of everything from tripping down the stairs to forgetting words but most of all, failing God. That one is an old fear the enemy attempts to use when he really wants to mess with me.

You see, for so long I associated my worth on where I was serving. If I wasn't serving at the piano then I felt like I was useless to God. Why even show up on Sunday. This is stinkin' thinkin' and God knocked me off of my throne (piano bench). Then He moved us to Georgia.

During the first few months here God changed my heart and I found true satisfaction out of serving in our choir. I love our worship choir so much. While my heart still beats a little faster at the piano, I have found that I am content to worship Jesus from my spot in our choir. If He sees fit to allow me to fill in at the piano on occasion, my heart knows that is His way of keeping that spark alive. It's a little reminder, "I'm not done with you yet."

You see, God had to remove me from the thing I loved the most (worshipping at the piano) to show me that I CAN worship in another area of service. After I learned that it was possible for me to feel that same closeness to Him standing in the choir loft, He had me audition for praise team. And you know what? I made it. That is when I better understood the context of Philippians 4:13.

Here is the passage before the verse we use so often.

Philippians 4:11b-13
"I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

The year I served was not easy. There were a few Sunday mornings everything in me prayed for a plant to be placed in front of me so I could hide! But God would gently remind me "You trusted me with your eternity. Trust me for today. It's me and you." I was free to worship without fear of failing Him.


Lesson #1. When I am content with where Jesus has me today, He will equip me with what I need to accomplish the thing that seems impossible. Nothing is impossible for Him. Nothing. Depend on Him alone.